Friday, 3 February 2012

Joe Eszterhas on Joe Eszterhas

It's a short, interesting read. The questions for the interview are drawn from Joe's book, Hollywood Animal, which tells his life story up to the time of publication in 2005.

Joe's parents were active supporters of the Hungarian Nazi Party during World War II. They eventually escaped Europe after the war, finding a home in America, where his father worked for the Catholic Church.

Once he was old enough, Joe ditched all that and made a life for himself on the wild side. He speaks of himself as the first screenwriter to be treated like a rock star. He knows a lot of rock stars, having been an editor with Rolling Stone magazine for years, before switching to screenwriting.

For a long time, he avoided spending time in Los Angeles, flying in and out only as was necessary for work. He despised "Hollywood animals," but it was only a matter of time before he was drawn into that world. When he recognised the fact, years later, that he had become a Hollywood animal, he walked away from Hollywood, returning to Cleveland.

Now Joe is writing a screenplay for former Adelaide boy, Mel Gibson, which deals with the life of the Jewish hero, Judah Maccabeus. Should be interesting to see how all that develops.